Why Air Pollutants Get Inside

November 16, 2017
By
Roth Heating & Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical

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Even the cleanest homes can suffer from degraded air quality. The reason?
Air pollutants enter our homes in manifold ways that most of us aren’t
even aware of. Couple that with the fact that most homes of modern construction
are airtight, and you have a recipe for poor indoor air quality.

Many people develop allergies to these pollutants, or else sensitivities
that cause them to suffer from respiratory irritations. The pollutants
may also aggravate conditions such as chronic bronchitis and asthma.

With cold weather months already here, we find ourselves indoors more often
than not, read on and learn how to prevent air pollutants both at the
source and once they are in your home. This will help keep your home a
more comfortable healthy space to spend time in.

Common Home Air Pollutants

Here are some pollutants typically found in a residence, the means of entry
and how to control them:

Dust—Dust blows in through windows, doors and crevices. To control, take off shoes
at the door. Seal window and door frames with caulk and weatherstripping.
Dust with microstatic cloths; vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate
air) filter.

Pollen–Pollen blows in through open windows, doors; it may also enter on
clothing and pets. Brush off clothing or remove it on entering the home.
Follow the same cleaning procedures as above. Sequester indoor plants
when they are producing pollen.

Pet dander–Dander is composed of flaky skin particles produced by pets as they
shed. Brush them outdoors; bathe them at least once a week.

Volatile organic compounds–VOCs are produced by the off-gassing of certain chemicals, ranging
from household cleaning products, to paint, pressed wood products, dry
cleaning solvent and textiles. Leave new articles outdoors a few days
to air out. Keep chemicals tightly capped and out of the living space.
Buy natural products whenever possible.

Also, use a good quality air filter in your HVAC system, which will do
a better job of trapping pollutants than a cheap fiberglass filter.